Second-graders listen as teacher Christina Sanchez sounds out words during a reading class at Carl Harvey Elementary School in Santa Ana. &#8220;The days of 20-1 are long over,&#8221; said John Palacio, a trustee with Santa Ana Unified. His district fought for the past few years to maintain smaller elementary classes, slashing instead other programs, jobs and services. &#8220;With our demographics of high English learners, it was a priority to keep classes small,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But in this current climate, we are no longer able to fund that.&#8221; FILE: JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Orange County's public school districts will again increase class sizes, reduce staffing, shorten the school year and consider other cuts as they work to slash as much as $269 million in spending.

The county's 28 school districts are planning budgets for the 2012-13 school year that anticipate worst-case scenarios, featuring deep spending and job cuts as Gov. Jerry Brown threatens to cut another $4.8 billion from public schools unless voters approve his tax-hike initiatives.

Elementary classes in most districts could swell above 30 students for the first time in more than a decade, and scores of schools could again shave up to a week off the school year. Districts also have already announced they may cut more than 1,500 jobs.

"It seems like a never-ending cycle," Orange County schools Superintendent William Habermehl said. "Each year, education takes the largest hit when the state runs out of cash. These cuts our school districts are taking on again show this playing out."

TOUGH TIMES CONTINUE

The county's public schools have cut nearly $1 billion from budgets over the past four years, according to the county Department of Education. That represents an overall spending cut of about 10 to 15 percent, county officials said.

Since 2008, districts have closed campuses, eliminated counselors, nurses, librarians and other jobs and slashed programs, including summer school, music and arts.

Last week, 13 O.C. school districts submitted preliminary spending plans to county officials for the 2012-13 school year indicating they might not be able to meet their financial obligations over the next two years. In December, before the governor released details for his proposed tax initiative, just nine districts indicated they faced that financial jeopardy.

"Districts are worried that the governor's initiative may fail at the ballot, or may not even make it that far," Habermehl said. "That's why you're seeing more saying they don't have much faith in the plan."

The superintendent said the uncertainty prompted districts last week to target the elimination of at least 1,520 jobs – mostly teachers who work on one-year contracts who have been told their contracts may not be renewed. The decrease in teachers would mean larger class sizes.

At the height of the state's lauded class-size reduction program nearly a decade ago, almost every Orange County school limited kindergarten through third-grade classes to just 20 students. Next fall, just a handful of schools will keep class sizes under 30.

"The days of 20-1 are long over," said John Palacio, a trustee with Santa Ana Unified. His district fought for the past few years to maintain smaller elementary classes, slashing instead other programs, jobs and services.

"With our demographics of high English learners, it was a priority to keep classes small," he said. "But in this current climate, we are no longer able to fund that."

For 2012-13, just Newport-Mesa Unified, Los Alamitos Unified and Westminster have committed to keeping K-3 class sizes around 25 each.

Related Links

Second-graders listen as teacher Christina Sanchez sounds out words during a reading class at Carl Harvey Elementary School in Santa Ana. “The days of 20-1 are long over,” said John Palacio, a trustee with Santa Ana Unified. His district fought for the past few years to maintain smaller elementary classes, slashing instead other programs, jobs and services. “With our demographics of high English learners, it was a priority to keep classes small,” he said. “But in this current climate, we are no longer able to fund that.” FILE: JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A Turtle Rock Elementary School fourth-grader wades through the lesson plan on the food chain in this 2010 file photo. Last week, 13 O.C. school districts submitted preliminary spending plans to county officials for the 2011-12 school year indicating they might not be able to meet their financial obligations over the next two years. LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Students in Allyson Parker's fourth grade class dissect owl pellets earlier this month at Los Alamitos Elementary School. Last week, 13 O.C. school districts submitted preliminary spending plans to county officials for the 2011-12 school year indicating they might not be able to meet their financial obligations over the next two years. FILE: DREW A. KELLEY, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A third-grader works on his science lesson at Kaiser Elementary School in Costa Mesa. According to the county Department of Education, the county's public schools have cut nearly $1 billion from budgets over the past four years. FILE: PAUL BERSEBACH, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Pacific Symphony violist Carolyn Riley teaches children at Los Alamitos Elementary the concept of tempo in music. Since 2008, districts have closed campuses, eliminated counselors, nurses, librarians and other jobs and slashed programs, including summer school, music and arts. FILE: DREW A. KELLEY, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Sara Nishioka, 11, works on math problems in Lauren LeBlanc's math class at Irvine's Meadow Park Elementary School. O.C. districts have announced they could eliminate at least 1,520 jobs – mostly teachers who work on one-year contracts who have been told their contracts may not be renewed. The decrease in teachers would mean larger class sizes. ANA VENEGAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Meadow Park Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Jenny O'Neill engages her math class. Last week, 13 O.C. school districts submitted preliminary spending plans to county officials for the 2011-12 school year indicating they might not be able to meet their financial obligations over the next two years. FILE: ANA VENEGAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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